HOUSTON \u2013\u00a0Houston Baseball legends continue to shine as the second half of the MLB and MiLB seasons roll on.
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\nJOSH EKNESS | MIAMI ORG. | MIAMI MARLINS | MLB | 60-DAY IL<\/p>\n
\n\tEkness made his major league debut on May 3 and played in six games for the Marlins before returning to Triple-A on May 14
\n\tSecured his first career save on May 10, where he threw the final third of an inning in a 5-2 win over Washington
\n\tAfter being recalled to the Marlins on May 29, he was placed on the 15-day IL on June 1, then moved to the 60-day IL on June 21 with a right calf strain
\n\tStarted a rehab assignment on July 23 with Triple-A Jacksonville
\n\tHas thrown four games as part of his rehab stint, allowing two runs on six hits in 4.2 innings
\n\tMiami is currently third in the NL East, sitting 9.5 games behind leader Atlanta and 1.5 games back of a wild card spot
\n\t2026 MLB stat line: 0-0 | 1 Sv | 1.69 ERA | 6 app. | 5.1 IP | 2 H | 1 R | 1 ER | 5 BB | 5 SO | 1.31 WHIP
\n\t2026 minors stat line: 2-1 | 1 Sv | 3.86 ERA | 15 apps. | 21.0 IP | 16 H | 10 R | 9 ER | 6 BB | 33 SO | 1.05 WHIP
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\nROBERT GASSER | MILWAUKEE ORG. | MILWAUKEE BREWERS | MLB<\/p>\n
\n\tAfter spending the beginning of the season with Triple-A Nashville, Gasser was called up to the majors on May 17. Since then, he’s spent most of his time with the Brewers with brief conditioning stints with ACL Brewers and Triple-A Nashville
\n\tHas appeared in a career-high 12 MLB games this season, all of them starts for the Brewers
\n\tOut of 209 MLB pitchers with at least 50 IP this season, he ranks 12th\u00a0with an average exit velocity of 86.5
\n\tRanks in the top 15 percent of qualified pitchers in walk percentage and hard-hit ball percentage
\n\tWhile only spending part of this season with the club, he already ranks sixth on Milwaukee with 62.1 IP and is one of 10 Brewers with at least three wins
\n\tEarned three quality starts, including a career-long outing of 7.2 innings against St. Louis where he allowed just two runs on four hits on July 7
\n\t2026 MLB stat line: 3-4 | 4.48 ERA | 12 apps. | 12 starts | 62.1 IP | 57 H | 32 R | 31 ER | 16 BB | 58 SO | 1.17 WHIP
\n\t2026 minors stat line: 0-0 | 3.95 ERA | 4 apps. | 4 starts | 13.2 IP | 16 H | 6 R | 6 ER | 7 BB | 22 SO | 1.68 WHIP
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\nJOHN KING | MIAMI ORG. | MIAMI MARLINS | MLB\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tHas spent the entire season with the Miami Marlins, primarily working out of the bullpen
\n\tAppeared in 44 games so far with a lone start against the Mets on May 31
\n\tConverted his only save opportunity of the year, tossing the final third of an inning to secure the win against Washington on May 9
\n\tRanks third on the Marlins with six wins, the most of any Miami relief pitcher
\n\tOne of 37 pitchers with at least 40 innings and an ERA below 2.50
\n\tHis .232 wOBA allowed ranks 12th\u00a0among pitchers with at least 40 innings pitched
\n\tRanks in the 87th\u00a0percentile of qualified pitchers in MLB’s\u00a0Baseball Savant\u00a0pitching run value
\n\tMiami is currently 58-55 and is third in the NL East, 1.5 games back of a wild card spot
\n\t2026 MLB stat line: 6-2 | 1 Sv. | 2.45 ERA | 44 apps. | 1 start | 44.0 IP | 23 H | 12 R | 12 ER | 12 BB | 32 SO | 0.79 WHIP
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\nJARED TRIOLO | PITTSBURGH ORG. | PITTSBURGH PIRATES | MLB<\/p>\n
\n\tHas spent most of the season with the Pirates, but missed almost a month early in the season with a knee injury that resulted in rehab assignments
\n\tHit a solo homer as part of a five-run comeback against Philadelphia on June 29, the 20th\u00a0home run of his career
\n\tWent on a seven-game hitting streak in mid-July, collecting 10 hits for a .455 average
\n\tHas collected two go-ahead hits and 10 multi-hit games this season
\n\tPittsburgh holds a record of 56-57, sitting third in the NL Central and is 3.5 games out of a wild card spot
\n\t2026 MLB stat line: 78 G | 225 AB | 23 R | 55 H | 12 2B | 1 HR | 20 RBI | 9 SB | .244 AVG | .320 OBP | .311 SLG | .631 OPS
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\nCONNOR WONG | BOSTON ORG. | BOSTON RED SOX | MLB<\/p>\n
\n\tHas appeared in 55 games for Boston this season, operating as one of two catchers for the Red Sox
\n\tWent on an eight-game hitting streak from late-June to early-July, going 10-for-23 during the span
\n\tHis pinch-hit homer on July 28 marked the 25th\u00a0home run of his career
\n\tSits with a 1.0 WAR on the year, bringing his career total to 4.6
\n\tBoston is 60-51 on the season, sitting third in the AL East and holds a 4.0 game advantage of the AL’s second wild card spot
\n\t2026 MLB stat line: 55 G | 141 AB | 16 R | 36 H | 9 2B | 2 HR | 17 RBI | 3 SB | .255 AVG | .346 OBP | .362 SLG | .707 OPS
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\nNICK HERNANDEZ | ATHLETICS ORG. | LAS VEGAS AVIATORS | TRIPLE-A<\/p>\n
\n\tHernandez has spent the entire 2026 season with Triple-A Las Vegas
\n\tHas seen action in 28 games this year with all being relief appearances\u00a0
\n\tRanks third on Las Vegas with four wins on the year
\n\tLas Vegas was the First Half Champs of the Pacific Coast League with a 44-29 record and is currently 18-15 in the second half, ranking second in the PCL West
\n\tOverall, the Aviators lead the PCL this season with a 62-44 record, 0.5 games in front of Sacramento for the overall lead
\n\t2026 minors stat line: 4-1 | 8.08 ERA | 28 apps. | 45.2 IP | 57 H | 44 R | 41 ER | 27 BB | 46 SO | 1.84 WHIP
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\nCOREY JULKS | DETROIT ORG. | TOLEDO MUD HENS | TRIPLE-A<\/p>\n
\n\tJulks has spent the entire 2026 season with Triple-A Toledo, appearing in 81 games for the Mud Hens
\n\tRanks second on Toledo with 54 RBIs and third with 15 homers on the season
\n\tHas six 3-RBI games, including during a hot start to the month of August with a two-hit performance with a double and homer against Columbus on Aug. 1
\n\tThe Mud Hens finished the first half with a 34-40 record despite a +26-run differential and currently sit in fifth in the International League West for the second half of the season with a 17-16 record
\n\tOverall, Toledo is 51-56 on the year, ranking seventh in the IL West
\n\t2026 minors stat line: 81 G | 303 AB | 46 R | 84 H | 11 2B | 15 HR | 54 RBI | .277 AVG | .354 OBP | .462 SLG | .816 OPS
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\nBEN SEARS | KANSAS CITY ORG. | OMAHA STORM CHASERS | TRIPLE-A<\/p>\n
\n\tSears started 2026 with Double-A Northwestern Arkansas before earning a promotion to Triple-A Omaha on April 10
\n\tAppeared in 30 games so far for Omaha, starting nine while collecting six wins and two holds
\n\tPosted an excellent month of June, finishing with a win and a 2.93 ERA with 12 strikeouts in eight appearances
\n\tClosed July on a hot streak, allowing just one run in his last five outings in the month
\n\tThe Storm Chasers finished the first half with a 33-41 record and hold a 18-15 record in the second half, sitting in third in the IL West
\n\tOmaha is 51-56 on the year, tied for seventh in the IL West
\n\t2026 minors stat line: 6-2 | 4.58 ERA | 32 apps. | 9 starts | 57.0 IP | 62 H | 29 R | 29 ER | 20 BB | 49 SO | 1.44 WHIP
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\nPATRICK WEIGEL | COLORADO ORG. | ALBUQUERQUE ISOTOPES | TRIPLE-A<\/p>\n
\n\tWeigel has spent his entire 2026 season with Triple-A Albuquerque, but has had a pair of stints on the injured list eliminating most of his competition for June and July
\n\tTaken the mound in 18 games this season, including four starts for the Isotopes
\n\tHe has allowed just one earned run in five innings across four appearances since being reactivated on July 25
\n\tStruck out at least one batter in every appearance but one this season
\n\tAlbuquerque finished the first half with a 39-36 record, sitting in second in the Pacific Coast East, and hold a 16-17 record in the second half
\n\tOverall, the Isotopes have a 55-53 record on the year, sitting in third in the PCL East
\n\t2026 minors stat line: 0-1 | 7.11 ERA | 18 apps. | 4 starts | 31.2 IP | 34 H | 27 R | 25 ER | 21 BB | 31 SO | 1.74 WHIP
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\nJAYCOB DEESE | PITTSBURGH ORG. | ALTOONA CURVE | DOUBLE-A<\/p>\n
\n\tStarted 2026 with High-A Greensboro, but was quickly promoted to Double-A Altoona on April 10
\n\tEarned 29 appearances so far this season, all in relief
\n\tBounced back with a strong July, appearing in eight games while earning a save and securing a pair of hitless outings
\n\tHasn’t allowed an earned run in his last five outings
\n\t2026 minors stat line: 3-3 | 7.96 ERA | 29 apps. | 46.1 IP | 59 H | 46 R | 41 ER | 25 BB | 35 SO | 1.81 WHIP
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\nCONNOR MCGINNIS | NEW YORK (AL) ORG. | SOMERSET PATRIOTS | DOUBLE-A<\/p>\n
\n\tHas spent time with Double-A Somerset and High-A Hudson Valley so far in 2026
\n\tInitially was promoted to Somerset on May 12 and was called back up after a three-day stint with Hudson Valley from May 27-30
\n\tDespite spending only part of the season with Somerset, he ranks seventh on the team with 10 doubles since his call up
\n\tLed Somerset with 26 hits in the month of July while sitting in third with four homers and fourth with 11 RBI
\n\tTied for eighth among all Eastern League hitters with 26 hits in July
\n\tThe Patriots nearly won the first half EL divisional championship, ending 2.5 games back with a 37-32 record
\n\tThe Double-A squad now holds a 16-17 record in the second half, four games back of first
\n\tSomerset holds a 53-49 record on the year, just 1.5 games out of the lead in the EL Northeast
\n\t2026 minors stat line: 78 G | 267 AB | 38 R | 67 H | 14 2B | 1 3B | 7 HR | 30 RBI | .251 AVG | .341 OBP | .390 SLG | .731 OPS
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\nCADE CITELLI | TAMPA BAY ORG. | BOWLING GREEN HOT RODS | HIGH-A<\/p>\n
\n\tCitelli has spent his entire 2026 season with Bowling Green in his second year of professional baseball
\n\tCollected two wins in July in back-to-back appearances, the second most on the team
\n\tHis five wins on the year rank fifth on the team and are the second most of any reliever
\n\tA trusted arm on the mound, he’s made the fourth most appearances for Bowling Green this season
\n\tHelped Bowling Green win the South Atlantic League First Half Championship with a 47-18 record, 5.5 games in front of the second-place team
\n\tThe Hot Rods has stayed hot so far in the second half, leading the league with a 25-11 record to sit at 72-29 on the season
\n\t2026 minors stat line: 5-1 | 1 Sv | 5.08 ERA | 23 apps. | 28.1 IP | 28 H | 19 R | 16 ER | 18 BB | 27 SO | 1.62 WHIP
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\nHAROLD COLL | LOS ANGELES (AL) ORG. | TRI-CITY DUST DEVILS | HIGH-A<\/p>\n
\n\tStarted 2026 with Double-A Rocket City, but was assigned to High-A Tri-City on June 23
\n\tHis 20 RBIs ranked second while his six homers ranked third among Northwest League players in July
\n\tTri-City holds a 52-50 record on the year and finished second in the Northwest League in the first half with a 35-31 record
\n\t2026 minors stat line: 92 G | 317 AB | 43 R | 63 H | 13 2B | 2 3B | 11 HR | 52 RBI | .199 AVG | .308 OBP | .356 SLG | .664 OPS
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\nRYAN DOLLAR | NEW YORK (NL) ORG. | BROOKLYN CYCLONES | HIGH-A<\/p>\n
\n\tIn his first season in the minors, Dollar has split time between Single-A St. Lucie and High-A Brooklyn
\n\tDollar earned a call-up to High-A on May 19 and has remained with Brooklyn since then
\n\tSince being promoted to Brookyln, he’s posted a 2-1 record in 20 appearances with a save and a 3.04 ERA
\n\tDollar has excelled at limiting opposing offenses, holding opposing hitters to a .171 batting average, including a .115 mark in July
\n\tBrooklyn holds a 42-58 record on the year and is 17-18 in the second half\u00a0
\n\t2026 minors stat line: 2-2 | 3 Sv. | 3.44 ERA | 31 apps. | 36.2 IP | 24 H | 17 R | 14 ER | 24 BB | 51 SO | 1.31 WHIP
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\nANTOINE JEAN | COLORADO ORG. | SPOKANE INDIANS | HIGH-A<\/p>\n
\n\tRemoved from his first career outing with an ACL injury which required surgery
\n\tWill miss remainder of 2026 season
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\nOWEN WOODWARD | NEW YORK (NL) ORG. | BROOKLYN CYCLONES | HIGH-A | 60-DAY IL (REHAB)<\/p>\n
\n\tAfter being drafted in 2024 by the Mets, Owen was injured for the entirety of the 2025 campaign and just started his rehab assignment on July 22
\n\tWoodward made his minor-league debut on July 22 with the FCL Mets, tossing a perfect inning against the FCL Marlins
\n\tHis next rehab assignment was with Single-A St. Lucie on July 29, where he threw an inning where he allowed a pair of runs on two hits
\n\t2026 minors stat line: 0-0 | 9.00 ERA | 2 apps. | 2.0 IP | 2 H | 2 R | 2 ER | 1 BB | 3 SO | 1.50 WHIP
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\u00a0 SUPPORT THE COUGARS\u00a0 STAY CONNECTED\u00a0\u00a0 \u2013 UHCougars.com \u2013<\/p>\n
\n2026 DRAFTEES & UDFAs
\nAll five of Houston’s 2026 MLB Draft Class \u2013 Tre Broussard<\/a>, Ryne Rodriguez<\/a>, Richie Roman<\/a>, Carsten Sabathia III<\/a> and Alex Solis<\/a> \u2013 as well as Cade Climie<\/a> and Tyler Bryan<\/a> were assigned to their respective organization’s Arizona Complex League or Florida Complex League team. The ACL\/FCL had completed competition prior to the draft. The five draftees can still make appearanes in the minor leagues during the remainder of the 2026 season.<\/p>\n
\nFans can make a direct impact on the success of Houston Baseball by\u00a0providing NIL opportunities<\/a>\u00a0and by\u00a0buying 2027 Season Tickets.<\/a><\/p>\n
\nFans can receive updates by following\u00a0@UHCougarBB<\/a>\u00a0on X, formerly known as Twitter, and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team’s Facebook page at\u00a0Houston Cougar Baseball<\/a>. Fans can also follow the team on Instagram at\u00a0@uhcougarbb<\/a>.
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